Career Stories | Matias Temonen, Associate, Dispute Resolution

Matias Temonen practises in Hannes Snellman’s Dispute Resolution Group as an associate lawyer with a particular focus on international commercial and investment arbitration.

Could you tell us about your Hannes Snellman journey?

I joined Hannes Snellman as an associate in the summer of 2024 after working with international commercial and investment arbitration at a leading international arbitration practice in Switzerland. Before joining Hannes Snellman, I reflected on my career’s future. I had always seen myself practicing in an international setting, preferably outside of Finland. Although I had wanted to work abroad, I eventually decided to move back to my home jurisdiction as I realised that I could build an international career from Finland as well. At Hannes Snellman, I am working on at least equally interesting international cases as I would abroad. Moreover, life as a local and close to family and friends is easier than life in the French-speaking world without knowing French.

How would you describe your normal workday? What kind of matters have you been handling?

In general, I have been involved in high-stakes international arbitration proceedings, particularly in the energy and construction sectors. I have also assisted clients in enforcement proceedings. My typical tasks include a variety of work from drafting legal submissions, such as statements of claim, to working with witnesses and investigating facts of a case. For example, I might study the functioning of a power plant or gather information to construct an evidentiary record of the events occurred.

You took part in the Vis Moot when you were a student. Can you tell us about that experience and how it has influenced your career? 

I participated in the Moot as a third-year law student at the University of Turku. In sum, the Moot was a pivotal experience for my career. It sparked an ambition for international arbitration, and I learned the basics of how to properly do research, practise written and oral advocacy, and build a case.

Before the Moot, studying law in general had not met my expectations. Then a friend suggested applying to the Vis Moot team. Despite coming up with all sorts of excuses for not participating (e.g. lack of time and knowledge), I decided to give it a shot. It soon became clear that I had made a good decision. One night, I worked late on the Claimant’s Memorandum at the university premises and completely lost the track of time. I realised that this level of engagement would never happen to me at work, and arbitration lawyers actually get paid for exercises such as drafting memoranda. Since that moment, I have known what I want to do for a living.

Participating in the Moot has then shaped my career. After the Helsinki Pre-Moot, I secured an internship at the Finland Arbitration Institute FAI, where I later worked as a deputy counsel. Working at the FAI provided me with invaluable insight into domestic and international arbitration markets, increasing my ambition for the profession. This ambition then took me to Switzerland and then back to Hannes Snellman, where I get to apply the knowledge and skills obtained during the Moot every day.

Based on your Vis Moot experience, what advice/greetings would you give to the students who are participating in the competition?

I urge all Mooties to enjoy the Vis Moot spirit. Although it is important to give your best shot in the hearings in pre-moots and Vienna, it is even more important to actively participate in the events and meet new people. Speaking from experience, those people might very well be your future employers, colleagues, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and client contacts.

What was the best thing about participating in Vis Moot? How about the most challenging thing?

The best thing in Vis Moot was finding my career path. I also feel grateful for the lifelong memories and friends with whom I have had the privilege to work and spend time with after the Moot as well.

The most challenging thing was balancing out the work, the Moot, other studies, and a good quality of personal life. The Moot requires a lot of capacity. However, the upside is that one learns time management skills in the process.